


The Falling Star

by LarGibbon



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BAMF Chloe Decker, Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Cute Trixie Decker, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Hurt/Comfort, Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV) Needs A Hug, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trixie Decker & Lucifer Morningstar Bonding, Trixie Decker & Lucifer Morningstar Fluff, Trixie Decker & Lucifer Morningstar Friendship, Winged Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:07:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22994443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LarGibbon/pseuds/LarGibbon
Summary: What if Lucifer fell to earth now instead of falling to hell at the beginning of time?
Relationships: Chloe Decker & Trixie Decker, Chloe Decker & Trixie Decker & Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, Trixie Decker & Lucifer Morningstar
Comments: 126
Kudos: 377





	1. Catch a falling star

**Author's Note:**

> Ok I’m pretty excited about this one. Hope you like it 🤩

Trixie lay awake in the pillow fort dad had helped her make. Stupid Bella had been calling her names today at school and she couldn’t even talk to mom or dad about it because they were always so sad or angry all the time. She just wished they could stop pretending everything was fine so she could tell them how lame they were being.Nothing was ever any fun anymore. 

Daddy used to make the best pillow forts but this one was literally a blanket draped over two unpacked boxes because he didn’t have any good pillows in his whole new apartment. It sucked. She punched the blanket over her head, which was not satisfying at all but at least it fell down in a heap so she could see the window.She always liked the stars when they went camping but she’d never seen them out her window at home before. She always thought they just didn’t have stars in LA.

She scrambled closer to the window to get a better look, just in time to see a shooting star!She thought of a wish really fast for her life to be fun again and smiled, proud she’d made it before the star went away.The star didn’t disappear like they usually do, though. It got brighter and bigger until it looked like it might land by their house! She couldn’t believe what she was seeing so she turned around to yell for dad to come look before she remembered how cranky he was when she woke him up. She looked back to the window just in time to see the star fall behind the houses down the street. It looked like it must’ve been really close because there was a loud crash and she could see pieces of dirt fly up over the houses.

She thought for sure that must’ve woken dad but when she jumped out into the hallway, she could still hear him snoring. So she crept down the stairs and grabbed her shoes and a flashlight and went outside. She’d never been this close to a real star before. She wondered if it would be that bright up close.

She ran as fast as she could down the sidewalk towards the fallen star. She’d never seen the street this empty; the sidewalks looked funny without all the people walking their dogs and the street was so quiet without the cars.When she got past the houses, she saw a giant hole in the park and thought that had to be it, but nothing was glowing or looked anything like a star. So she walked closer and peered over the edge of the crater.Her flashlight fell on a man in a white robe with still-smoking black wings in the fetal position.

“Hello?” Trixie whisper-shouted.

He groaned and tried to move.

“Hey!” she tried again.

He looked up at her, a little annoyance flickering across his face between the pain at this ill-timed nuisance, “What?!”

“Shhh,” she warned, “are you an angel?”

“Well I was,” he groaned louder, propping himself up on his arms, attempting to stand, “I’ve been fired.” He chuckled darkly.

“You look like one,” she pointed her light at his wings, “but... your wings got burned.”

“Have you ever seen an angel, child?” He cocked a skeptical eyebrow at her.

“In pictures,” she shrugged, “hey, are you ok?”

He sat back on his heels which he’d finally convinced to bear his weight and gave her a look, “what do you think?”

She looked at him thoughtfully and decided, finally glad dad hadn’t moved far away from home, “I think my mom can help.”

He scoffed, slowly rising to his feet, which turned out to be a very tenuous position, “right, ok.”

“Just climb out, she lives close to here.”

“‘ _Just climb out_ ,’” he repeated, “right.”

“Come on,” Trixie encouraged, offering him her hand, “I’ll help you.”

He smiled despite himself at her unrelenting sweetness and dug his hands and feet into the earth, clawing up to the edge of the pit, dragging the dead weight of his destroyed wings behind him. Trixie’s little hands pulled with all their might at his bicep, trying to help him up. It did absolutely nothing to help... but he appreciated the effort.

He finally lifted himself over the side and rolled onto his back, wings crunching beneath him, bits covered in dirt and ash and blood crumbling into dust.

“I’m Trixie,” she offered her hand to him as he lay gasping on the ground, “what’s your name?”

“Lucifer,” he offered his hand as he struggled for breath, “Morningstar.”

She grinned widely and squealed with delight, “I knew it!” 

“What’s this now?” He dropped his arm heavily back to the ground.

“You _are_ the star!”

Confusion gave way to understanding as it slowly dawned on him what his fall must have looked like from earth, “ah, yes, I suppose I am.”


	2. Put it in your pocket

“Come on,” Trixie grabbed his hand before he’d caught his breath, “let’s go home.”

He rolled up to his knees and winced as he slowly, painfully pushed himself off the ground to stand.She did the best she could to help by pulling him up and when he finally stood again, he looked down at her with a bright smile like he’d just done a magic trick or something. 

Trixie rolled her eyes thinking “even babies stand up after they fall” and dragged him by the hand down the street, staggering and stumbling and cussing the whole way. 

Just when he started really wheezing and running like a grandpa, she suddenly turned and pulled him up her driveway towards the front door of her house.

“Just let me do the talking, ok?” she warned as she rang the doorbell, wishing she had her own key.

A light immediately flicked on in the room above them, but after what felt like forever, nobody opened the door. Lucifer leaned against the house, resting his forehead against the doorframe. Exhaustion came over him like a heavy blanket and he closed his eyes. Trixie rang the doorbell again and again, the sound annoying even him, and he vaguely understood she was complaining about the slow response without hearing any of the words she said.

The door opened slightly then and he saw  _ her _ for the first time down the wrong end of a .22.If he had any breath left in his lungs, she would’ve claimed it. Barely a glimpse of her in the small space between the door and the gun and suddenly the most important thing in the world was seeing a laugh in those cold, suspicious eyes. He attempted a smile and she frowned.

“I’m calling the police,” she said by way of introduction.

“Mom, wait! We gotta help him,” Trixie begged from just behind him and the door swung wide open immediately.

“TRIXIE, babe, where’s your dad?!” She interrogated breathlessly as she holstered her gun and knelt down to hug her, forcing her to drop his hand.

“He’s asleep,” she shrugged like it was irrelevant, “mom, please?! Look at him.”

Once again he gave his best effort at a winning smile and lost.

“Monkey, what are you doing out here all alone? And where did you find him? He’s probably just um, a homeless... frat boy having a rough night,” she took in his ratty “toga” and mentally kicked herself for putting off the stranger danger conversation.

”Yes I am now actually,” he interjected with a single laugh which erupted into a series of coughs. He covered his mouth with his arm and when he pulled it away there was fresh blood.

Her lovely eyes widened and finally,  _finally_ met his. He chalked up the overwhelming rush he felt then to blood loss and his knees chose that moment to buckle - but this time, she was there to catch him.

“Sorry, I—I’m sorry,” he slurred, beginning to shiver uncontrollably, “S-Sorry.”

“Trixie, call 911. Now. He needs to go to a hospital,” She held him up with her arms tight around his middle.

“Mom, I can’t... look!” Trixie hesitated.

Chloe’s gaze snapped up to her in shock, livid that Trixie would choose  _this moment_ to rebel, and she followed her daughter’s frantic pointing finger to the broken wi—WINGS hanging from his back. She could see immediately that they were clearly not a prop but this being LA... she steadied him against her knee to free one hand and traced the connecting tissue from his shoulder blade across the top of his wing. Real. Definitely real. Definitely couldn’t be real but... definitely real. She pushed downon the top of the wing and he cried out in pain as burned bits flaked off in chunks.

“Dreaming,” she muttered, standing there stunned for a moment before Trixie’s frantic voice brought her back to the situation at hand.

“Can you help him?!” her kind, compassionate daughter begged, voice so full of concern and hope it made her heart ache.

No. Er, no problem, dying angel... nbd, right? Yeah. “Yeah, Monkey, let-let’s bring him inside.”

So Trixie grabbed his legs and Chloe backed into the house with him in her arms, using every ounce of strength she had to carry him to the living room. He cried out in pain when they dropped him on the couch but Chloe was right there, head against his chest to listen to his breathing, fingers digging into the side of his neck and resting on his pulse. She seemed to breathe easier with whatever she found there.

“Is he gonna be ok?!” Trixie’s panicked voice rang out.

“Yeah, baby... I-I think so,” her light fingers fanned out from his neck and chest,investigating the extent of the damage. 

She pressed on a few of his ribs before he caught her wrist and, just lifting his eyelids slightly, breathed, “Please, I— everything’s... broken.”

“Ok, it’s ok; I’ll stop,” she whispered and gently swept away the hair stuck to his sweat-sheened forehead with her free hand before calling slightly louder behind her, “Trixie, could you grab some towels?”

She turned back to him as she freed her hand to get the rest of the supplies they’d need, “Let’s get you fixed up.”


	3. Never let it fade away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The interrogation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, a lot of decisions had to be made for this chapter so it took me a little longer to decide who/when/etc. but I promise I have a plan (more or less) involving a lot of cuteness... Thank you all for reading and commenting and being so nice 🖤

They’d finished cleaning him up the best they could for now and Chloe had tucked Trixie in and gone to bed. The first time Trixie sneaked out of bed, she was just going to make sure he had enough blankets and pillows. Then she thought maybe he’d be thirsty when he woke up, so she got him a glass of water. 

Every time, a thrill went through her to see that he was still there, followed by an ever-growing disappointment and impatience that he still wasn’t awake.She knew you weren’t supposed to wake anyone up when they were as sick as he was, but she just had  _so many_ questions.

After the third trip she couldn’t think of an excuse for, she decided she might as well camp out so she brought her blankets and pillow and her favorite bedtime story to the comfy chair across from the couch to wait for him to finally wake up.He looked really different now that he was clean in her dad’s old sweatpants and t-shirt instead of his dirty robe and angel wings.He would’ve looked like any normal grown-up if he wasn’t so... sparkly? No... glowy? Well whatever he was, he was prettier now and she didn’t have to squint too hard to picture him shining in the sky before he fell.

“Can I help you?” he asked without opening his eyes.

Trixie giggled in surprise, “you’re awake!”

“Mm,” he acknowledged, eyes still closed, groaning in pain as he adjusted his position on the couch, “impossible to sleep with all the fuss you’ve been making.”

She grinned wider and scurried across the room to the floor by the couch so she could whisper, cutting to the chase, “what’s it like in space?”

He opened his eyes then, which took a second to focus on hers, suddenly so close and expectant, “I’m not from space, urchin.”

She fell back onto her heels, her arms flopping down onto her knees, “oh.”

Something in him snagged on her disappointment and it was oddly  _ critical _ to him to remedy that look on her face, “but... I have spent quite a lot of time there.”

“Really?!” her eyes glistened with awe and she propped herself up on her elbows on the edge of the couch again.

“Yes,” he smiled with drooping eyelids at her excitement. He’d forgotten how beautiful it was, space. But he had loved it as much as she did, in the beginning.

“When I was new like you, it was all dark: a blank canvas. My father... m-my....father,” he suddenly forgot where he was going with that. His jaw twitched and his eyes lost their characteristic warmth as they focused on something far away. 

He lost himself in thought for a moment before Trixie settled her hand on his and he looked up at her in surprise, shaking off the memory like a nightmare.

“And then you and the other angels lit up the sky?” she offered.

“More or less,” he smiled, eyes refocusing on her.

“Was it fun?” She whispered, her blinks coming heavier and slower.

“It was _a_ _ lot _ of fun,” he whispered back, “most fun I’ve ever had.”

“Good,” she yawned, “do angels fall a lot?”

He laughed before catching himself and holding his ribs, “not exactly.”

“Then what happened to you?” She dropped her chin onto the cushion and looked up at him questioningly.

He thought for a moment, “flew too close to the sun.”

Her eyes narrowed skeptically - she knew all about the solar system from school and that did  _ not _ make sense - but she didn’t push it, “are you feeling better?”

“I’m alive. That’s better than I expected today to turn out.”

“ _ Can _ angels die?” She blurted out before she could wonder if that was an ok thing to ask someone - even someone as weird as him.

“Well, I think so,” a laugh rumbled in his chest and he fought back the insistent crackle in his lungs, “Never tested it personally, though.”

“Ever been to Mars?” she mumbled as sheclosed her eyes and lay her head against the cushion, wrapping her fingers around his.

He blinked, “I prefer earth but yes... I’ve been.”

“What’s it like?” she murmured, already half asleep.

“It’s...” he couldn’t think of an appropriate adjective before she was already snoring but eventually settled on, “violent.”

—

Chloe had been lying awake for hours now, tossing and turning and trying to come to terms with the existential crisis sleeping in her living room. Currently healing from his literal fall from heaven. Because he was... an actual angel. Anxiety rose in her throat and she rolled over again.

Her mind flooded with images of his  wings ... how the charred remains of the appendages that had destroyed her worldview crumbled in her hands like vine charcoal as she carefully scrubbed his back and there was nothing she could do to save them. How desperately helpless and somehow guilty she felt. The nausea forced her to shift her position back onto her back. 

Her fingernails and the 4th bucket of clean water were still black with his ashes, not to mention all the dirt and blood she’d be cleaning off the couch for decades. Most of his damage was internal, though, and that’s what really worried her. 

Should she bring him to the hospital now that his wings were gone and all he was left with were two nasty scars? But what if they found out about him and didn’t let him go? Were X-files a real thing? She chewed her lip nervously.

She wondered if all shooting stars were angels. Did this happen a lot? Was there a support group somewhere she could join? There was so much she didn’t know. So much she thought she’d figured out a long time ago, only to have it all thrown in her face in the middle of the night like this by her 8yr old. Did this mean God was real? Santa Claus? Fairies? Dragons?

She had work in the morning and all her newly-single-parent body wanted to do was sleep but beneath this prolonged panic attack, all she could think about was his broken ribs and whether or not he was still breathing. Finally, around 4am she just had to admit that she’d rather not wake up to a dead angel in her living room and she resigned herself to watching over him for the night. 

She crept downstairs, blanket and active case file (her only reading material these days) in hand, only to find that her daughter had beat her to it.She smiled and shook her head as she took in the two of them: Trixie no doubt setting back his recovery at least a few days by not leaving him alone, and... um, the Angel - she just realized she hadn’t thought to get a name, what with that slightly distracting medical emergency and sudden crisis of faith - folded in on himself protectively around their entwined hands.

She carefully picked Trixie up to carry her to bed, gently placing the angel’s arm back on the couch as their fingers untangled, using her best mom-strength to keep Trixie sleeping the entire way until she was safely tucked back in her bed, fast asleep. Then she returned to the living room and settled into the chair opposite him.

He was peaceful; beautiful, once all the dirt was rubbed off, and she couldn’t help but imagine that must be what heaven was like.


	4. Save it for a rainy day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is my life now and I’m in love with this star/angel/devil boi and his earth people 😭 I hope you all like soft moments with the world’s sweetest Devil because I’ve got big plans for this little fic... BIG PLANS. Thank you all for reading ✨😈🕵️♀️👧🏻💕❤️

She watched him breathe steadily for a while before she, too, started to drift off.She awoke to her phone ringing and kicked herself for not texting Dan about Trixie. In her defense... um, an angel fell out of the sky. She walked to her room and quietly closed the door before answering the next call attempt she knew was coming, “Dan, I— I know, she’s here. She’s fine. It’s ok, I can take her— no yeah, I get it, that’s fine. I would, too. Can you just pick her up outside in an hour?Ok, see you then. Bye.”

She sighed as she hung up the phone and sneaked back downstairs past the sleeping angel to wake Trixie, stealing just the tiniest little glance at him, just to make sure he was still there.

15 minutes later, Dan was knocking on the door. Just like him to be early and demanding entry with a sleeping angel on her couch. She hesitated, trying to decide how she’d explain this... before the second round of knocks came louder and she was more concerned about the noise waking said angel.

She opened the door and stood in the gap to whisper, “Hi Dan, I—“

“Where’s Trixie?” he interrupted, trying to see above her into the house, clearly distressed.

“She’s getting ready,” Chloe explained in a low voice, “but listen, I—“

“Can I see her?” He nearly sobbed.

“Yeah of course, I just—“

He pushed past her into the house, taking that as an invitation and calling loudly, desperately, “Trixie?!”

“Dan,” Chloe whisper-shouted after him, internally bracing for impact.

Dan marched towards Trixie’s bedroom, the singular goal of seeing her on his mind.Much to Chloe’s relief, he walked right by the angel on the couch and into Trixie’s room, “Heyy Monkey,” he cooed as he fell to his knees and hugged her, sounding so relieved, Chloe again felt the pangs of guilt for not texting him.

“Hi Daddy,” Trixie answered brightly, if a little confused and muffled by the force of his hug.She half-hugged him back, half-continued flapping the sleeve of hersweatshirt to unbunch it.

“Are you ok sweetheart?” he asked more to reassure himself than her now that he could see she was fine.

“Yeah, sorry daddy, I just didn’t want to wake you up.”

“Oh, honey, you can always wake me up if you have a bad dream or you just want to leave. Ok? Just please don’t go alone.”

“Ok,” Trixie nodded.

“Ok,” Dan finally took a deep breath and swiped his face to catch any rogue tears, “Get ready quick and we can stop for breakfast!”

“Ok!!” She scrambled away.

“Hey Dan, I—“ Chloe began.

“Why didn’t you call me?” he demanded.

“I’m sorry, I... honestly, I didn’t even think to. It was a long night,” she explained. As she spoke, his eyes wandered to the room behind her and landed on the strange man dressed in his clothes.

“Really Chlo?” He asked with such disappointment and disdain, she took a step back, hurt.He sighed heavily and tried again, feigning interest, “who is he?”

“This is um...” she again realized she hadn’t gotten his name and before she could decide if she should lie or if he’d believe her if she told him the truth, Dan saw through her and called her bluff.

“Seriously? I’m disappointed in you, Chloe.”

“No, Dan, it’s not—“

“Whatever, it’s none of my business as long as it doesn’t involve Trixie, right?” he dismissed, walking towards the front door with Chloe guiltily trailing behind him, “Trixie! Come on, let’s go!”

Trixie ran in the opposite direction to the couch with her backpack hanging off one arm and whispered something to the apparently somehow-still-sleeping Lucifer, then ran towards the door, calling “Bye Mommy!” as she left.

Dan gave her a disapproving look, obviously blaming her for whatever relationship their daughter had with the angel, and slammed the door.

She ran a hand through her hair, unspooling a chunk of her ponytail with a sigh.

“Well he’s delightful,” the unfamiliar voice from the living room made her jump.

She met his eyes, finding no trace of sleep in them, and she felt the edges of her frayed nerves snap as manic laughter bubbled up from her throat, dying down only when she stumbled to the comfy chair and flopped down, dropping her head in her hands, “yeah.”

He rolled onto his side to see her better, wincing in pain, “Thank you. For helping me.”

“O-of course,” she lifted her head and awkwardly stared at him, did he think she would’ve let him die?

“It’s Lucifer, by the way. Morningstar.”

“Chloe Decker.”

He smiled like the sun and THERE it was, the reaction he’d been searching for all night. If he could just capture that light in her eyes, the stars would pale in comparison.

“Pleasure to meet you. Though... perhaps not under the most pleasant circumstances.”

“Yeah,” she laughed breathlessly, thinking about how bizarre and gruesome her night had been since Trixie showed up with him at her door.

Speaking of Trixie... “What did my daughter say to you just now?” she tried to ask casually.

“I... can’t tell you,” he hesitated.

“Why not?” she tried to keep her internal parental alarm bells quiet.

“It was a wish.”

She laughed but stopped when he stayed still and stoic, his dark brown eyes fixed on her, “what, really? Angels care about the whole wish... code?”

“Some do. Well,” he confessed, “ _I_ do.”

“Why?” She asked, genuinely curious, “why would it matter to _you_?”

“When people wish on stars, they’re sending their deepest desires into the cosmos, things they might never tell another soul. So without realizing it... they tell me. I think that confidence is... worth honoring.”

“You hear all the wishes people make on stars?”

He nodded.

“Not... prayers?”

“Prayers are really more my father’s thing.”

“Your father...” her eyes widened and she shook her head, setting that bombshell aside for now, “And then what? You... grant the wishes?”

“I help them, if I can,” he looked pained, “sometimes it’s... up to them, though, if they think they deserve it.”

“Wow,” she breathed involuntarily.

He grinned.

“But... Trixie whispered her wish to _you_ , not a star. Does that change anything?”

“She believes me to be a star,” he smiled fondly and shook his head, “she... saw me fall.”

That took a moment to sink in, the breath completely escaping her lungs as she thought about Trixie watching this man in front of her fall in a fireball bright enough to catch her eye and lead her to him, and about him _feeling_ every moment of that, “I... still can’t believe you’re alive.”

“Neither can I,” he coughed rather than laughed, “all thanks to you and your spawn.”

”So what now? Where will you go?”  
  


“I don’t know,” he dropped his gaze and slowly rolled, cringing, to his feet, “but I’ll figure something out. I truly appreciate your kindness and hospitality.”

”Wait,” she hopped to her feet as well, “where are you going?”

”I’ve put you out enough,” he smiled politely, “Don’t worry, I’m very resourceful I— if you could just show me where my robe is? Or would you object to me keeping these instead,” he pinched his T-shirt to illustrate.

”You don’t have to leave,” she grabbed his arm, “I was just asking.”

“It’s ok, Chloe, honestly,” he laughed lightly, “I’ve been kicked out of worse places with significantly less grace. You’ve done more than enough.”

”I just... I wish you would stay,” she admitted vulnerably before dropping her gaze from his and dialing back the honesty, “a-at least until you’re back to 100%.”

His eyes softened and he let his arm relax in her grip, “Well... if that is... what you truly desire.”

”It is,” she returned his gaze hopefully.

  
“Ok then, Chloe Decker, lead away,” and he allowed her to lead him back to the couch, beaming.


	5. Love may come and tap you on the shoulder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends! I am resisting the very strong urge to apologize for being later than usual/intended because it always makes me sad to see authors on here beat themselves up (you’re great stop it) so instead, I will just promise that I am doing my best, I will *never* abandon this fic as long as it remains unfinished and I truly appreciate anyone who hangs in there with me. I am really looking forward to the next chapter and have most of it written already so you won’t have to wait as long!
> 
> Honestly, I’m sure you’ve noticed things are getting real weird out there and I’ve been having the hardest time focusing on anything else. But when things get weird, we need stories. So... I got you. 💕

_ Daddy’s being weird this morning _ , Trixie thought, shoveling pancakes into her mouth. He was looking out the window and his knuckles were white on his full coffee mug. Usually he’d be on his second or third cup by now. She cautiously eyed him while she chewed and wondered why he wasn’t talking. Maybe he was mad at her?Before she could ask, he seemed to shake himself out of it and looked back at her with a forced smile.

“How are the pancakes?”

“Ghfood!” she exclaimed through the current bite.

“Chew your food, honey,” he chuckled and hesitated before asking as casually as he could, “I... wanted to talk to you about the guy your mom is seeing.”

“What guy?”

Dan resisted the urge to facepalm, wondering how many men Chloe had brought home, “You know, the guy on the couch this morning.”

“Lucifer?!” She giggled, “He’s  my friend.”

“Yeah that’s... kind of what I wanted to talk to you about,” he approached, “I know your mom and I haven’t been doing too great lately but... you know I still love you more than waffles, right?”

“Yeah, dad,” she grinned at their inside joke with pancakes still stuffed in her cheeks.

“I’m doing the best I can, kiddo. And I know it’s not always good enough but... I just... I’m still your dad and I always wanna be a part of your life. Even if your mom meets someone new, I don’t want you to feel like you have to choose between us, ok?“

“Ok,” Trixie still had no idea what this had to do with Lucifer or anything else but grownups were weird sometimes.

“Ok,” he sighed, relaxing anyway, “let’s get you to school.”

When he dropped her off, his hug was just a little longer and tighter than usual before he let her go.

Class dragged by. She couldn’t wait to tell Bella at snack about her shooting star and she spent most of the morning doodling space and astronauts, wondering if Lucifer could take her there when he was feeling better or if he had any special powers besides flying, especially now his wings were gone.When snack came, though, Bella interrupted her story and told everyone she was lying. Trixie got so mad, her face felt hot and she silently counted to 3 before Bella continued mockingly, “yeah right, like a _star angel_ would want to be  your friend anyway.”

—

Some wishes were hard to hear. People who wish on stars sometimes do it because they don’t have any other option. Sometimes it’s because someone hurt them and they don’t know what to do. If Lucifer had one wish himself over the years, it was that he could do something to balance the scales for those people. Even when he could help grant their wishes, it hurt to know there were so many guilty souls living with no consequences for causing that suffering.So when Chloe explained what she did for work, he found it  _ fascinating _ .

She brewed coffee and sat on the couch with Lucifer, who was actively shoveling spoonfuls of sugar into his mug. Bitterness didn’t agree with him, apparently.

“Why do you think it was the father?” He was asking, inadvertently bumping her shoulder with his as they thumbed through her current case file side-by-side.

“Well,” she hesitated, glancing again at him to gauge how authentic or polite his interest truly was, “he has no alibi and by all accounts, he and the victim didn’t get along. He has a reputation for being demanding and controlling.”

“So why haven’t you arrested the bastard?”

She smiled softly at his enthusiasm, “Well, I have no evidence. And his roommate is officially our lead suspect. He was caught with the knife and admitted to fighting with him that day.But I don’t know... something just doesn’t feel right.”

“Well you’ve clearly got notable instincts. I’m certain you’ll get him,” he sipped his cup of coffee-flavored cream and sugar, ”trust yourself.”

He stated all that like a fact but if he looked up, he’d have seen her glowing, her lips straining to hold back a smile.

She looked at her watch, “shit,” and snapped the case file shut, quickly depositing her cup in the sink and she called behind her, “I’m late! I’ll be back in a few hours and you’re welcome to stay here, watch tv, get some rest,” she turned to say goodbye and eyed the bruising starting to appear in splotches on his face, “and don’t forget to keep ice on that.”

His face fell and he rolled haltingly to stand, “actually, I’d really love to see this all in action. Any chance I could tag along?”

“You really need to rest... but maybe when you feel better, I can see about getting you a ride-along.”

“Excellent,” he grinned, “I’ll look forward to it.”

Chloe quickly threw herself together and hurried out the door. Suddenly, the house was very quiet. He hummed to himself and tried to think of things to do but everything he could think of involved the searing pain of moving some broken piece of himself. For the first time since he fell, he felt how disconnected and purposeless he now was. 

He shifted painfully and his eyes landed on the case file Chloe had left behind. He dragged himself to pick it up and settled back into the couch for a more thorough review.It was clear she was right about the _who_ but Lucifer was always drawn to the _why_. The father hated the son... so he killed him? Was it really that simple?

He absently inhaled some of his coffee concoction which set off a coughing fit, spilling some on the file.He hopped up in a reflex to prevent more damage and began flicking the liquid off the pages before he realized he wasn’t doubled over in pain. Actually... he felt great.

It had only been an hour or so since Chloe left and he hadn’t slept or eaten, and he’d certainly not iced his bruises as she suggested, and yet... 

Most of his experience with injury was on the celestial plane: particularly nasty spats with his siblings and various incidents with black holes. He hadn’t had much occasion to test his healing ability on earth before now. He couldn’t recall a time when he had been injured while visiting earth to grant a wish. Besides, he hadn’t ever been thrown out of heaven before. He assumed he had been stripped of everything divine. So when his ribs started to feel a little less fragile and his lungs filled entirely without spreading pain throughout his body, he was intrigued.

The file quickly forgotten, he began stretching and flexing his muscles experimentally.

Just then, something rattled at the door and Trixie flew through it like a bullet, squealing, “Lucifer!”

“Careful, honey!” Chloe called, reminding her how fragile this supernatural being was.

Trixie stopped just short of plowing into him and gingerly wound her arms around him.

“Back so soon?” Lucifer questioned Chloe over Trixie’s head, slowly letting his arms settle over her shoulders.

Chloe sighed, “Yes, well... _someone’s_ been suspended for starting a fight at school.”

Trixie looked up at him guiltily, “I’m trying to be good... she just made me so mad.”

“Well I’m not one to judge,” he crouched down to look her in the eye, breaking her hold of him, “Did she deserve it?”

Trixie nodded, “she said... someone like you wouldn’t want to be friends with me.”

Confusion wrinkled his brow, “you want... to be  _ my _ friend?”

Trixie’s eyes were suddenly wide with something akin to fear as she nodded.

_ Why _ was on his lips but he swallowed it back, “of  _ course _ I want to be your friend.”

She grinned and threw her arms around his neck. He patted her back awkwardly and tried to sift through his thoughts. He’d been loved once... but being father’s favorite had never made him exactly  popular . And father was strict. Maybe he allowed Lucifer to create the stars but every particle and galaxy still had to follow the very specific laws he’d set. Lucifer had tried to please him for a time but... he’d never been a rule-follower. And when push came to shove, his siblings took father’s side on everything until, well...

So the idea of a  _ friend _ , not a sibling balancing loyalty to father with their grudging respect for him as the favored light bringer, was... foreign.He chuckled softly and came back to his senses when his eyes met Chloe’s, smiling at them by the door.

“All right child,” he cleared his throat uncomfortably, “what does it mean to be suspended?”

“It means... I get to stay here and play with mommy instead of staying in school,” she grinned and he frowned skeptically.

“No,” Chloe piped up sternly, “it means you get to sit quietly and think about other ways you can deal with bullies ... while I get some work done.”

Trixie sighed guiltily and waited until Chloe walked to her bedroom to work to look back up at Lucifer with a spark in her eye, “ever made a blanket fort?”


	6. Some star-less night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Childhood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😳🤭👉👈🙏😭🙈  
> I’m still trying not to apologize but I would definitely be going to hell if what they say about guilt is true... like I said though, I’m not abandoning this until it’s done!!! I already have so much written in my head. I’m just like... also trying to stay alive right now. 
> 
> (PS This scene inspired this whole AU 😍 I hope you like it!)

No... Lucifer had not ever made a blanket fort. But how hard could it be? He was creative enough and blankets and pillows must be less volatile materials than helium and hydrogen, right?

“Alright, what’s the plan?” he finally asked Trixie as they brought the last of the pillows and blankets into the living room from throughout the house.

“Plan?” 

“Yes, the designated purpose or instructions to follow?” He condescended impatiently.

“What? No,” Trixie giggled, “you just wing it.”

“Wing it?” Lucifer asked skeptically, rolling his unusually light shoulders uncomfortably.

“Yeah no plan, you just... make it as cool and comfy as possible.”

The serious look on his face deepened and then disappeared as he repeated, “no plan?”

Trixie grinned and after a moment, he grinned back.

—

Chloe had gotten through the first full report she was looking over without interruption before she realized the house was a little too quiet.Lucifer wasn’t coughing or complaining and Trixie hadn’t knocked something over, set off the fire alarm or barged in uninvited once. Something was definitely wrong.

She sighed and closed the file, calling, “Trixie?”

No answer meant she had to stand up and investigate so she walked down the hall, bracing herself for the worst. Last flu season was not pretty in general but it was even worse the day Trixie had started to feel better and raided the fridge unsupervised.

“Trixie, babe?” She called again as she marched down the hallway to the stairs. Still no response. Her hallway was oddly dark for the time of day, though, and as she neared the stairs, she realized a blanket was draped over the entrance, creating a tunnel as it led to the living room. It looked like it was fastened fairly securely using tape and tacks.She frowned, thinking about the tiny holes and peeled paint it would cause on her walls.

She ducked her head to enter the tunnel until she reached the end of the stairs where another blanket was draped like an entrance and she had to nearly crawl as she approached. She brushed it aside and her jaw dropped as she took in what she knew should be her living room but in this moment bore no resemblance. Blankets draped all around her over her couch on its side and stacked chairs framing the edges of the room, lined with sparkling string lights.In the center of the room, a large pile of pillows and cushions were stacked with Trixie perched on top, and Lucifer standing in the middle of it all with his hands on the ceiling like the pole holding up a circus tent.

He was focused on the ceiling but he was smiling, no— _laughing_ , and it caught her off guard.He didn’t look like the heart-wrenching fallen angel who’d just broken every bone in his body and barely lived through the night, he looked... well, happy. Free. She searched his movements for any hesitation or pain but there was nothing. He moved easily as he spun around, laughter still in his eyes.It was like nothing had happened. But... she still saw his crumbling wings and pained face struggling to stay with her every time she closed her eyes.

“Hi mom,” Trixie sang from her spot atop Pillow Mountain.

“Definitely a fire hazard,” Chloe breathed.

Lucifer hopped down easily and bounded over to where she stood, “I hope we didn’t disturb your work, Chloe. Your daughter decided to show me how to create a... ‘a blanket fort.’”

When she didn’t respond, he continued, “My sincerest apologies if I am making a mess of it. I-I’ve never made one before.”

Her eyes focused on his as she realized all the things he’d likely never had a chance to do, being an angel and all. It was odd... since she’d known him, she’d spent all the time that she hadn’t been worrying if he’d survive, wondering how much smaller her life must seem to someone like him... but here already she had experience he didn’t. She wanted to ask him if he’d had a childhood and how long ago it was if he did, but she was distracted by the health and energy radiating from him and found herself reaching for his face before she could think twice, “what... what happened to your bruises?”

He froze as her hand cupped the side of his face just below his eye, gently swiping her thumb across where the yellowing bruise had been hours before. He held his breath, searching her face for anything other than the confusion building there. Before he could answer, she drew her hand back and accused, “Is that an angel thing? Could you heal this whole time?” She added in a whisper so Trixie wouldn’t hear, “W-was this all some kind of... sick cosmic joke?”

“No,” he responded forcefully.

“Then what... how is it that you barely survived last night and now suddenly you— you’re completely fine?”

“I don’t know,” he defended, “I... I’ve always been more or less invulnerable but I’ve never fallen quite so far before. I thought... maybe that was part of the punishment? But now it appears I am healing after all.”

“But you were here overnight and you still looked awful this morning. I was gone for 2 hours and you’re already destroying my living room with my 8-year-old!”

“Yes,” his expression turned puzzled and then contrite, “I promise I’ll repair any... destruction. I’d only just realized I was healing when you returned and I assure you I am as lost as you are.”

Great, she kicked herself, he really did look lost. She wasn’t exactly sure why - and she was determined to find out - but he was all alone, after all. How disorienting and frightening must that be on top of falling out of the sky? And she’d just ruined their fun, which always seemed to be her role when it came to Trixie.

“Look, I’m sorry. All this angel stuff is a lot to deal with. It was a rough night for me so I can only imagine how this has all been for you. Just... please let me know if you find out what is going on, ok?”

He nodded seriously, looking down as if making himself a mental note.

“And the living room looks amazing, by the way,” she added with a sparkle in her eye.

“Really?” He met her gaze hopefully.

Chloe nodded with a soft, tired smile.

“Well then, let me show you around!” He held out his hand for hers and beamed when she tentatively slid her fingertips across his palm. He squeezed her hand and led her around the room, explaining the finer points of his construction, ending the tour by climbing atop the nest of pillows to stand near where Trixie was burrowed, pretending not to eavesdrop.

“This is the throne room,” Lucifer began.

“My throne, obviously,” Trixie interrupted, pointing to the dandelion crown she was wearing.

“Yes, well it’s only fair as it is her domain,” Lucifer dismissed, phantom feathers ruffling.

“Technically, it’s my domain,” Chloe corrected, the corner of her mouth twitching at the effort it took to hold back a smile.

Lucifer paused thoughtfully, “Hmm... very true. One moment please.”

He abruptly rolled back down the pillows and lifted the edge of one of the blanket walls.

Chloe laughed and turned back to Trixie, “this is some blanket fort!”

“I know! Lucifer’s really good at it. I think this is the best one I’ve ever seen!”

“I think so too,” she agreed, “So what do you think about Lucifer?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know... I guess I just want to make sure you’re doing ok. I mean, he’s caused a lot of chaos since he’s been here. How do you feel about all that?”

“It’s not his fault,” Trixie argued, “he didn’t want to get hurt or come here or anything...”

“I know, I just mean... you don’t think he’s... weird, do you?”

“No, he’s totally weird, mom. That’s why I like him.”

Chloe opened her mouth to continue the conversation but just then the blanket wall billowed and Lucifer emerged, fiddling with something as he quickly scaled the pillows again without looking up.

“I trust this is sufficient?” He carefully presented her with a fragile flower crown made out of a at least two layers of queen ann’s lace, clovers, dandelions and other wildflowers she recognized but couldn’t name interwoven together, “there weren’t enough of the yellow ones left so I had to improvise.”

“Hey, hers is bigger than mine!” Trixie complained.

“You— well, I suppose we can add to yours if you can keep the first intact,” he sighed with an edge of warning before shifting his attention back to Chloe, “what do you think?”

Chloe smiled and dipped her head, allowing him to crown her.

Lucifer sucked in a breath and placed the crown on her head, pressing down just enough to keep it from moving.

“I can’t believe how quickly you made this!”

“I’ve had a lot of practice,” he smiled.

“Oh? You’ve had a lot of women to make flower crowns for?”

“Not exactly,” he laughed, “I’ve always preferred to wear a crown when I could get away with it, and I particularly enjoy flowers.”

“Why?”

He looked at her with clear confusion, “why not?”

“I just mean... you had to have seen a lot of beauty in all that space and time... why would you even notice flowers?”

“Well, I suppose...” he gently touched her crown, “Nothing else is this free. They’ve no incomprehensible purpose, no one to answer to. They just _are_. Heaven itself can’t compete with that.”

She smiled and he felt lightheaded, probably from scaling the pillows too quickly.He flopped down on his back on the pillows next to Trixie with a sigh and Chloe slowly lowered herself down to lay on the other side so they circled the top of pillow mountain, the crowns of their heads at the center.

“Are those stickers on my ceiling?” She blurted out.

“Mom, wait til you see,” Trixie ignored the reprimanding tone her mother used and turned on a flashlight, holding a wide circle of light still for a moment before holding it at arm’s length and waving it around, then abruptly turning it off.

Chloe gasped in awe as all the tiny specks of light came to life. Star stickers of varying sizes glowed in the afternoon light and she felt vaguely ashamed of her attempts to decorate Trixie’s room with them now that she saw what was possible.Lucifer had torn the stickers into little bits to reflect their relative sizes and distances, carefully sticking them where they would appear in the sky at this time of year.

“Is this...” Chloe began, recognizing some of the constellations, “did you use a star map?”

“Of course not,” Lucifer scoffed, “Do you use a map to navigate your house?”

“You know them that well?”

“Well yes, I put them there.”

“Wha—“ Chloe turned to him in renewed wonder.

“Which one‘s your favorite?” Trixie interrupted.

Lucifer thought for a moment, “None I’ve included here...”

“I like that one,” Chloe cleared her throat and pointed to a particularly bright sticker on the edge of the group.

“Well... technically, that’s a planet,” he bristled.

“Oh,” Chloe shrank into the pillows, “which one?”

“You truly know nothing about the stars?” He asked, unbelieving.

“Well... I know that’s the Big Dipper,” she traced the constellation in the air.

“I... suppose that’s a start,” he sighed, shaking his head, “perhaps you’ll need to learn using the real thing. These hardly do them justice.”

“We can’t see many in the city but maybe you can tag along on our next camping trip, if you want.”

“I’d like that,” Lucifer confessed, turning and holding her gaze for just a second both too long and too short before Trixie piped up.

“Which one’s Mars?” She demanded and he pointed to a smaller one closer to the middle to her delight.

They spent the rest of the afternoon practicing constellations, Trixie quizzing Lucifer on practically every star’s name before one by one, each of them drifted to sleep.


	7. Just in case you feel you wanna hold her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreamcatcher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😓 With everything going on, I had a hard time getting the tone right with this chapter (dark is my default) but I’m still working on this and I haven’t abandoned you all! 🖤💕

Chloe slowly became conscious of a low whimper next to her along with periodic shivering that must have shaken her awake. She peeled her eyes open to the angel she had been dreaming about, but here he was tense and covered in sweat.

Suddenly, he lurched forward as if to catch himself and opened his eyes with a snap, seemingly dizzy and disorientated by the pillows all around him.

Gasping in a cold sweat, he clutched his chest and struggled to get his breathing under control.

Chloe’s fingers found his and he jolted again at the unexpected touch, glancing at her and taking a ragged breath before settling back into the pillows.

She didn’t move to speak, just kept her eyes fixed steadily on his face and squeezed the edge of his hand.

He didn’t need to look to know Trixie was still asleep on the other side of the pile of pillows, she was snoring so loudly. But he checked anyway and took a deeper breath seeing they were both safe, he was safe and there was nothing to fear.

He turned back to Chloe, allowing his fingers to entwine with hers, and met her eyes again. 

“Bad dream?” She whispered.

He nodded.

Her concern softened and she observed him with warmth. She rolled onto her side to face him without letting go of his hand and held his gaze as she settled into a more comfortable position. 

“Well, you’re safe now,” the corners of her mouth quirked slightly into a smile and she allowed her eyes to close before adding, “I promise.”

He stared dumbly at her for a long few minutes without realizing it. He admired the way the moonlight kissed her skin, the way her eyes fluttered slightly when they were closed, and he wondered at the feeling of her hand as it relaxed in his. She opened her eyes again and he smiled, embarrassed, before squeezing his eyes shut with determination. He didn’t see her smile back before he drifted off to a more restful sleep.

—

Trixie woke first. The light was streaming through the window and she was _starving_. She hopped up, ready to wake her mom when she saw. Mom and Lucifer were holding hands while they were sleeping... and now Lucifer wasn’t the only one who was glowing.

She grinned, rolled down the pillows as silently as she could and went to pour herself some cereal.

Chloe woke at the sound and instinctively rolled over, caught short by an immediately tightened grip and jerking movement that caught her off balance and spun her heavily into Lucifer’s chest. She laughed, beaming, and looked up into Lucifer’s confused, groggy face (still gorgeous, damn him).

His brow furrowed as he tried to orient himself and he slowly loosened his hold on her, stammering an apology.As he let go, her hold on his hand tightened and she grinned up at him.His attempt at an apology sputtered out before it even took shape and the confusion on his face cleared as his eyes met hers.

“Good morning,” he smiled.

“Morning,” she beamed up at him.

More clattering from the kitchen finally broke the spell and their hold on each other. Lucifer followed closely behind Chloe to the kitchen. 

“Careful Monkey,” Chloe warned as she reached out to pour the milk for her.

“Yes,” Lucifer cleared his throat in an attempt to clear his head and redirected his attention to Trixie, “watch what you’re doing, child.”

“I’m just trying to eat,” Trixie smirked, “what are _you_ doing?”

“Whatever do you mean?” Lucifer asked innocently, shooting her a look that clearly said  cease-and-desist while Chloe’s back was turned.

Trixie’s suspicious look bloomed into a full, delighted grin then and Lucifer couldn’t help but smile back. They swallowed back their shared excitement over what each had awoken to, just as Chloe turned back to them after putting the milk away. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced between each guilty-looking face puckered shut, Trixie avoiding eye contact while Lucifer stared, wide-eyed and innocent, straight at her. She didn’t want them to know how adorably transparent they both were so she turned to get another couple bowls before she allowed a smile to tug at the corner of her mouth.

“Did you want to go to work with me today?” She asked as casually as she could manage.

“Yes,” Lucifer and Trixie both responded, immediately looking at each other in confusion.

“Sorry monkey,” Chloe laughed, “not after what you pulled yesterday. I meant Lucifer.”

Trixie pouted while Lucifer’s grin spread, “I’d be delighted, Chloe.”

Her ears burned and she bit back a smile.

“Any chance we could make a few stops first, though?” Lucifer asked.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Well... I imagine pajamas are frowned upon at your workplace?”

Chloe laughed, “ah... yes, good idea. We can stop at FashionMart on the way.”

Lucifer involuntarily let out a snort, “I was thinking something a little more upscale if you don’t mind.”


	8. You'll have a pocketful of starlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Work

“Oh!Stop here if you don’t mind, I’ll just hop in.”

Chloe stopped the car outside a bank to let him out, “you know you need an account to get money, right?”

Lucifer scoffed indignantly and slammed the door before strolling up to the bank in the coffee-stained sweatpants, old t-shirt and the ill-fitting slippers he’d been wearing. 

He approached the desk and greeted a very sour-looking woman with a grin.“Hell-o there,” he charmed, “Would you mind drawing oh, say $5000 out for me? Small bills.”

“And who are you?”

“Lucifer Morningstar.”

She eyed his clothing, “uh huh.”

“*tsk* clearly need new training manuals,” he muttered, working his ring off his finger, “if my face didn’t do the trick, how’s this? Look familiar?”

The color drained from her face as she held the ring closely enough to read the engraving and gaze into the light refraction in the jewel for a beat too long before Lucifer cleared his throat. She turned pale when she finally truly looked at him and she allowed her hands to fall forward and shaking fingers released the ring at Lucifer’s touch.

“M-my apologies, s-sir.”

“Not at all. I am in a bit of a rush though, so...”

“Yes of course,” she entered a few keys into the computer and turned to walk toward the vault.

“And can you have a debit card sent to this address?” He quickly scribbled Chloe’s address on a notepad and handed it to her, “may be more expedient in the future.”

“Future, sir?”

“Yes, I plan to stay this time,” he beamed.

“Yes, of course,” the teller cleared her throat nervously, swapping his note for the large wad of cash, counting bill by bill, “20, 40–“

Lucifer waved his hand to dismiss the count and began to pull the cash from her hands, “I’m sure I can trust that it’s there.”

“Thank you sir, m-my deepest apologies again for the inconvenience earlier. I’d never thought I—well, it’s been quite some time...”

“Of course it has,” he smiled, “thank you darling.”

The teller flushed and looked down, clearly frazzled. Lucifer took the cash and sauntered outside, waving at the security camera with a mischievous grin as he went.

—

He held up the wads of cash as he skipped back to the detective’s car to prove his success before stuffing them unceremoniously into his pockets, creating two suspicious-looking bulges in his sweatpants that clearly screamed “thief.”

“How did you...? Lucifer, you know I’m a cop, right?”

“Yes well it’s all above board, I assure you. I have an account that’s been gaining interest since the Bronze Age, so.”

“They’re not suspicious about that at all?”

“Oh... they’re paid quite well not to be.” 

Chloe shook her head, “Ok, ok I’m impressed, I admit it.How long has it been since you’ve hit up a bank, ‘Clyde’?”

He looked confused and a little hurt when he turned to her, “Clyde?”

“Long enough to lose track of ‘current’ events then,” she teased.

“Oh I don’t know, I used to visit fairly frequently, every few decades or so. Before Dad forbid it,” he added under his breath, his jaw set tightly. As much as Chloe wanted to push, she could wait until he trusted her enough to open up on his own.

“This fancy enough for you?” She pointed at the Prada store.

“Ah, that’s more like it!”

—

Lucifer emerged from the dressing room a worryingly long time later, fiddling with his cuffs, a bit uncomfortable and self-conscious, “so?” He looked up at her questioningly.

She hesitated just a beat too long, the interested glint in her eye obvious from half a room away, before she cleared her throat and managed, “Yeah that’s... that’s f-fine,” shrugging and clearing her throat, “for work.”

“Excellent,” he acknowledged behind a barely noticeable self-satisfied smirk, waving the tailor over to make the necessary adjustments, “then I suppose we should make our way there.”

—

“Ok just wait here for a minute, I’m gonna go get permission for you to do a ride along,” Chloe stuffed the bag of his old clothes under her desk and pulled the chair out to indicate where he should sit.

As soon as Chloe turned her back to approach the lieutenant’s office, Lucifer hopped up and started poking into things, reading case files and digging through her desk drawers with the enthusiasm of a 6-yr-old. Curiosity and lack of boundaries were the gifts his father had bestowed upon him at his creation.

LT accepted her story that he was her informant so she didn’t ask for ID and agreed to a ride along without any issues. She’d expected official documents and 20 questions but it seemed like she’d lucked out and caught her on a busy day. 

As she was leaving the office, she ran into Dan and Ella, who caught her with a, “WOW,” staring at Lucifer from a distance.

“What?” Chloe played dumb, assuming Ella was pointing out how smoking hot he was.

”Not to be weird or anything but your informant? He’s got this light about him - aura, energy, whatever you want to call it - that is the brightest I’ve ever seen!”

“Does he?” Chloe asked, watching him stumbling around her desk, making a mess of her filing system, “Are you into that kind of thing?”

“I mean... I think you might be,” Ella teased, knowingly watching her as she checked him out. Dan rolled his eyes.

“Yeah Chlo, the way you look at him... it’s like he hung the stars,” he disguised a complaint as a joke.

“Please,” Chloe scoffed, “have you met him?”

“Well...” Dan evaded.

“No...” Ella admitted.

“Lucifer?” Chloe called to him, “Can you,” she motioned for him to come over.

“Ella Lopez, Dan Espinosa; this is Lucifer Morningstar.”

“Lucifer, huh?” Ella piped up, “God’s favorite son, Light Bringer... I like it, it suits you!”

Lucifer beamed, “well I’m impressed by your obscure biblical knowledge, Ms Lopez.”

“Oh,” Ella tugged on her necklace to show Lucifer, “yeah, it’s kind of my thing.”

“I see.”

Chloe stared straight ahead, looking like she’d seen a ghost.

“Chloe, are you ok?” Lucifer asked tenderly.

Dan interjected, “man, it’s ‘Detective Decker’ if you’re gonna work here, ok?”

Lucifer nodded tersely and tried again as Dan shook his head and stalked away, “Detective?” 

“I’m ok, Lucifer,” then more quietly as Ella gave them some space as well with a sparkle in her eye, “just... God’s  favorite ?”

He looked at her like that hadn’t occurred to him, “oh. Yes. Formerly.”

“wha— but... God’s favorite?”

“I’d think someone with a celebrity parent would understand...”

“How do you...?” She began before remembering he’d had enough time to look through her family albums and her desk, “Well I was an only child and I still wasn’t my mother’s favorite. And... God? You? Out of everything that exists; that He created, YOU were the favorite?”

“Like I said, formerly,” the tips of his ears began to burn, “We’re not on especially good terms right now.”

“Isn’t that worse?” Chloe asked, “What does that mean? For me? For Trixie? That you betrayed the per— _the omnipotent_ creator of the universe?”

“Nothing,” he blurted, then froze, “I-I mean... I suppose...”

“You don’t know.”

“No I, I hadn’t thought of it.”

Chloe gave him an irritated look and began to walk away before he caught her elbow and whispered urgently, “Detective, please, I’ve never had to consider anyone other than myself before. But I promise, I  promise I will keep you and your daughter safe.”

“Maybe we should get you home,” she sighed.

“What? But we’ve only just got here. Did the lieutenant deny our request?”

“No, I just...” she sighed, meeting his desperate eyes, “you’re right, let’s go.”

Chloe found a good spot to stake out her suspect’s house and explained what they were doing.A tense few moments in the car, Lucifer pulled out the Newton’s Cradle toy he’d stolen from her desk and played with it until the noise threatened to drive her insane.

“Lucifer, stop. What is it with you and that toy?!”

“Just thinking, Detective.”

“Anything relevant?”

“Just... what is the equivalent reaction when your favorite son starts a war against you? I mean the fall was grand but... What does He have planned? There are always consequences.”

She glanced over at him and felt guilty for inspiring the dark cloud that seemed to hover around him, “Lucifer, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to accuse you of putting us in danger, I was just surprised.”

“But you were right, Detective. I have no idea what _dear old Dad_ has in store for me. I hurt and betrayed the One who controls you and everyone you love without any thought to the collateral damage I could cause. Perhaps I should—“

“ _ Controls _ ?” She interrupted.

“Well yes,” Lucifer ventured, “He’s a bit of a control freak. Not too big on choice. You and everyone you know and everything they’ve done was all part of his Grand Scheme.”

“...and you? Was your rebellion, when you fell and we met... all His plan?” A cold sweat broke out on Chloe’s forehead as she contemplated the little control she had and what all this could mean for everyone she loved.

“I—“ Lucifer stopped himself thoughtfully, “I don’t know.”

An extended silence fell over them as they contemplated the significance of everything they’d experienced and the thoughts and feelings they believed they had but could no longer trust. The sinking feeling of existential dread grew in the pit of Chloe’s stomach once again before it dawned on her.

“Wait,” she finally broke the silence and Lucifer looked up hopefully, “you created the actual stars, right?”

“Yes...”

“And how did you do that?”

“I combined the elements Father had created.”

“And then what?”

“I played, Detective,” he laughed, not knowing where she was going with this, “I tried different combinations and orders and watched what stuck.”

“And once the stars lit up the sky, what happened?”

“Well, my job was done. They bumped into each other without any help from me and slowly, I suppose... huh.”

“They burned and pulled in other stuff, right? The planets?”

“Mhmm...”

“And those planets took the heat and stuff from the stars and started to grow life?”

“Yes, by Father’s very specific instructions.”

“And that life grew and changed and aged until I was born and here we are?”

“In very simple terms, yes, Detective.”

“Well, did you create me? Control me?”

“NO!” Lucifer turned an appalled face towards her, “I made the light, the rest was...”

“Fate?” Chloe asked, smirking, “‘written in the stars?’”

Lucifer scoffed and fell heavily back in his seat, looking straight ahead.

“I just mean... maybe we have nothing to worry about? Your plan was to create the stars and have fun, and I’m an unexpected result of that. What if... how specific is your Dad’s plan?”

“I don’t... I don’t know.”

“It’s ok,” she smiled, squeezing his hand, “We’ll figure it out. Together. I trust you.”

He fell back in his seat with a soft smile, “I can’t imagine why. I fell out of nowhere, invaded your house, mysteriously recovered and had money squirreled away, and now it appears I’ve been concealing important information from you this whole time.”

“Call it a hunch,” she teased.


	9. For when your troubles start multiplying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 🌳🔥🖤

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: past abuse & trauma (skip by avoiding the section between ***)

Trixie paused, waiting impatiently for them to catch up before sprinting ahead again. She’d been begging mom all summer and waiting all week after she finally said yes; the least they could do was hurry up so they could get there sometime today. She picked up a stick and dragged it across the dirt as she went, occasionally attacking trees and larger rocks.

Finally, she reached the familiar camp site and dropped her backpack at the edge of the clearing, racing to her favorite tree. She used her momentum to scale the side and grabbed a branch, hauling herself up just as mom and Lucifer appeared at the trail head, laughing and bumping into each other. 

_ No wonder they were so slow _ , she rolled her eyes,  _ they were too busy looking at each other to see where they were going . _

She climbed up a few branches, testing her weight and her courage as she rose higher than she‘d been able to get last year.She proudly looked across the clearing, over the tops of the trees. It seemed strangely quiet this high and she smiled down at her kingdom below. 

The tree unexpectedly swayed lightly in the breeze and she stopped climbing, suddenly afraid of how high up she’d gone.She was heavier than last year and the top of the tree was thinner than she thought.She scrambled to climb down, more quickly and less carefully than she’d climbed up, and she chose a branch too small and dead to support her.By the time she heard it crack, it was too late. 

Her stomach dropped and she heard herself shriek.Branches struck her face and scratched her arms as she fell, and she knew she’d been high enough that the fall would really hurt. But then... it didn’t. Before she knew what had happened, she was wrapped in warm arms and pressed close enough to someone’s chest to feel their pounding heart and rapid breathing.

“Trixie!” Mom called from a distance, and Trixie looked up in surprise, realizing for the first time that it wasn’t she who’d caught her. Lucifer’s wide eyes met hers and she felt a sob lurch unexpectedly from the bottom of her throat. She hid her face in his shirt and he pulled her in even more tightly as her tears bled through to soak his skin, whispering, “Hush child, hush... I know how  frightening it can be to fall but... I’d never let you hit the ground. Never. I promise.”

“Were  _ you _ scared?” She whispered back when she’d finally caught her breath, pushing away from his chest just enough to see his face, “w-when you fell?”

“Terrified,” he colored a bit and involuntarily shivered at the memory, then quirked his head to the side thoughtfully, “but then... you found me.”

Trixie managed a small smile at that and swiped at her eyes and nose, clearing her tears and taking a deep breath as Lucifer’s hold on her relaxed.

“Monkey, what were you thinking?” mom’s oddly high-pitched, breathless voice chimed in as she reached them, gathering her from Lucifer’s arms just as her tears ran out.

“We’ve talked about this,” mom scolded lightly as she smoothed down her hair and rocked side to side soothingly, “you need to stop climbing so high.”

Trixie just nodded, squirming to look over her shoulder at Lucifer as he figured out what to do with his hands and eyes now that he was no longer needed.

“Thank G—“ Chloe halted suddenly, twirling to look at Lucifer as he glanced up involuntarily at the near mention of his father, his arms looking conspicuously empty with his freshly wrinkled shirt complete with tear stains, “just... thank your lucky stars you’re ok.”

Lucifer’s mouth quirked but his eyes held hers, wide and red and glassy.

“Thanks for saving me, Lucifer,” Trixie shifted in her mother’s arms again to look at him, reaching out to silently invite him into the hug; an invitation he didn’t seem to understand, staying planted where he was.

“Yes,” Chloe added, choking back a sob of her own as she rocked Trixie back and forth, planting a kiss on the top of her head, “thank you, Lucifer.”

He stared at the two of them and swallowed, bowing in awkward acknowledgment, “of course.”

“Let’s get you some bandaids, ok?“ mom examined her arms and legs, “Looks like you got sliced pretty good.”  
  


“D-did you bring the space ones?”

”Yes,” Chloe smiled, “there might even be a few aliens left in there.”

Trixie hopped down and they went to look through Chloe’s bag for the first aid kit.

Eventually, after enough complaining and negotiating, Trixie convinced her mom to let her go get sticks for the fire. Chloe was hesitant to let her out of her sight but at the end of the day, she needed Lucifer to help pitch the tent and the faster the fire was ready, the sooner they could all relax. 

Trixie had been practicing the last few years so she knew just what sticks to look for and how to build the perfect fire— except for the actual fire. She could never strike a match quickly enough to light it, or she did it too roughly and snapped the matchsticks, and she didn’t understand how her parents made it look so easy.She frustratedly tried again and again with her mother’s lighter while she and Lucifer bickered over the tent, but she just couldn’t get it right and eventually her fingers hurt too much to try.

“This looks great, Kiddo,” her mom praised, adjusting a few logs all the same, “couldn’t get it to light?”

“It’s too hard,” Trixie whined, tossing her the lighter.

Chloe chuckled and tried a few times, but her hands were sore from securing the tent and she couldn’t get it either, “Lucifer, could you...?”

He accepted the lighter and looked puzzled, “you’re simply... attempting to set this pile alight?”

“Yes,” Chloe tilted her head, “you’ve never had a bonfire?”

“‘fraid not,” Lucifer shook his head, “but I might be able to save some time.”

Before they could ask what he meant, Lucifer simply looked at the fire pit and his eyes lit up as if they themselves were on fire. The sticks burst into flames and he grinned as the light in his eyes crackled and faded.

“You...” Chloe ventured in wonder, not sure what to ask.

“Cool!” Trixie interrupted, “you can fly _and_ you got laser beam eyes?! What other powers do you have?!”

He just shrugged, smiling.

Mom looked at Lucifer funny then, like he was one of the cases she brought home because she just couldn’t figure it out.

—

“What about a story?” Trixie asked an hour later or so, licking the last of the melted marshmallow off her fingers. 

“I can get your book,” Chloe offered, jerking her thumb towards the backpacks.

“What about one you know, Lucifer? I bet you have lots.”

“Hmm, I suppose...” Lucifer considered, “would you like to hear about the first time I visited earth?”

Trixie nodded like a bobble head, her stick rolling off her lap to the ground, luckily after she’d finished her last s’more.

“Ok well... a long time ago—“

“You’re ‘sposta to say ‘once upon a time,’” Trixie interrupted.

Lucifer shot her a skeptical look and sighed, “once upon a time...”

Trixie watched, mesmerized as he explained how he’d met Eve and Adam, and when she asked him to explain what the trees and animals looked like or how he hid in the branches of the tree, he illustrated using shadow puppets and manipulating the flames of the fire. 

She tried to stay awake until the end, she really did, but between the s’mores and the fire and Lucifer’s soft, soothing voice as he spoke, she felt heavier and heavier until she was fast asleep on the ground by the empty marshmallow bag.

“She’s out like a light,” Chloe laughed, nodding to Trixie, fast asleep on the other side of the fire. 

Lucifer’s lips twitched and quirked into a soft smile, “well, she’s had a long day... and she did eat our entire s’mores supply.”

“Not all of it,” Chloe looked pointedly at Lucifer, who’d given Trixie a run for her money once she’d convinced him to try one despite the messiness.

“Yes,” he nodded in mock seriousness, “some of it is still around her mouth.”

Chloe laughed and smacked his arm teasingly, allowing her hand to settle on his, resting her head on his shoulder with a contented sigh.

He looked down at the blonde head on his arm and felt more at home and at peace than he ever had in the Silver City. 

Lucifer’s smile grew as he settled into this feeling Chl—  _ the Detective _ seemed to ignite in him. Something that felt like what he’d heard heavenly peace was always supposed to feel like: warm and light and perfect. 

He’d always felt vaguely guilty for not basking in his Father’s love the way his siblings always had. His style of worship had been compulsory and perhaps... unconventional... but in his defense, he’d never understood the joy anyone gained by serving and worshipping and obeying. 

He could never simply appreciate His work from a distance when he wanted to touch and taste and feel that it was good for himself- if not create his own work and perhaps call  _ it _ good, instead. 

But this? He didn’t feel this way because someone told him he was supposed to. With her, he felt at home and at peace and filled with joy for the first time and it only made it the better that it had nothing to do with Him.

“So you told me you’d show me the stars,” she bumped his shoulder teasingly.

“So I did,” he smiled and looked up, deciding where he would start.

“What’s that one?” She asked of a slow-moving light.

He looked at her incredulously, “you can’t be serious, Detective, a satellite?!”

She laughed loudly and suddenly, “relax, Lucifer, I’m just joking.”

He scoffed, mumbling under his breath, “as if a satellite could possibly be mistaken for a star.”

When he’d recovered from the insult, he pointed out constellation after constellation, using the names and telling the stories humans invented. He even pointed out the planets so she could tell the difference, trailing off as he reached Virgo, noticing Chloe nervously biting her lip and wringing her hands a bit.

“Are you alright?” Lucifer finally asked, brushing the back of her hand with his thumb.

“I just... um, none of those are angels, right?”

“What, the shooting stars?”

Her worried eyes met his and she nodded.

To her surprise, relief and mild annoyance, he laughed, “no, no, Detective! As far as I’m aware, I’m the first and only angel to ever fall.”

“Oh. Ok.”

“Though if you want to wish on one, I’ll always hear you.”

Chloe looked away blushing, whether from embarrassment or something else, it was hard to say.

“It’s ok, Detective,” Lucifer nudged her shoulder with his, “Your human science isn’t completely off base, there are rocks and bits of debris that hit the earth’s atmosphere too. It’s not always handsome prodigal angels having a particularly bad day.”

She smiled, relaxing against him, “Good.”

He held her fingertips out slightly with his, spreading their fingers and examining them against the firelight. The light made her skin appear to glow. She was a light he hadn’t created and all he wanted was to bask in her grace and maybe...

“Detective?”

She smiled, entwining their fingers thoughtfully, “you don’t have to call me that, you know. We’re not at work.”

He contemplated that for a moment and shook his head, “I like it. It suits you.”

“It’s just a title,” She laughed softly.

“So is Lucifer, more or less.”

Chloe leaned back to catch his eyes, “What Ella said, right? Light bringer?”

“Exactly,” he grinned, “It was my job. Dad gave the order and I lit the universe.”

“I know,” she shook her head absently, remembering their previous shocking conversations, “But you don’t have a different name, right? I do.”

“I— have a few.”

“Really?”

“Lucifer’s the name I chose for myself but my real... or ah, my first anyway... I don’t— um, my Father...”

“It’s ok,” she tapped his hand reassuringly, “you don’t have to tell me.”

“Samael,” he admitted, “‘Venom of God.’”

“ _ Venom _ ?” Chloe couldn’t help but ask, the confusion evident in her voice, “I thought you were his favorite son?”

“Once, I was. But now...” he trailed off, staring into the fire, before shaking his head, “ _Dad_ likes things He can control.”

“Well, I’m glad you changed it,” she smiled and he looked down at her, questioningly, “Light, I see. But Venom? That doesn’t suit you at all.”

He smiled tenderly at that and cleared his throat, “Detective, I... I’ve never properly thanked you for helping me— when I fell, I mean.I-I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t been there.”

“It’s ok Lucifer, seriously,” Chloe smiled and nodded towards Trixie, now snoring loudly across the dying flames, “she’s the one you should thank, anyway, not me.”

“True, and I intend to provide her with all the chocolate and marshmallows she deems necessary to compensate her for the trouble she took to find me and bring me to you,” he smirked before growing somber again, “But truly, Detective, you don’t know what it meant that you cared for me and opened your home to me a-after... after my own was closed to me.”

“You were hurt. Of course I helped.”

He chuckled, smiling bitterly, “‘Of course.’”

***

“What happened anyway? Why did you fall?”

“I... I desired so much more than my Father alone could provide and He... well, I suppose in actual fact, I was ungrateful.”

“Lucifer,” she breathed as it all suddenly clicked, shock in her voice as those horrific memories of crumbling wings, dark bruises and cracked ribs came flooding back, “your Dad did that to you?”

His head tilted to the side, “Yes of course, nothing happens without His orders.”

Chloe was struck by the way his words reminded her of her time on patrol, when she responded to a particularly disturbing domestic incident and needed to take the statements of the children. She shivered and carefully lifted her free hand to his cheek, “Lucifer, that was wrong. He never should’ve done that to you. It wasn’t your fault.”

Tears sprang to his eyes but she held his gaze with a soft palm on his cheek and with her other hand, tightened her grip on their fingers.

“But I... I disobeyed,” he croaked, “perhaps if I’d just—“

“Listen to me, Lucifer, I  saw what He did to you - I’m still cleaning the evidence off my couch - and yeah, I know you’re some big powerful celestial being but you’re still his son and he’s your Father. Punishment is one thing but the pain he put you through? Disobedience or not, He never should’ve hurt you like that.”

Lucifer laughed even as a rogue tear spilled over his lashes, “careful, Detective, that’s blasphemy. You’re beginning to sound like me.”

“Good,” she smiled, stroking the side of his face.

He closed his eyes, forcing the carefully balanced tears there to stream down his cheeks. He trembled as her arms wrapped around him and pulled him close. She let go of his hand only to rub circles on his back and cradle his head as he silently wept. He couldn’t say how long they stayed like that but when he pulled back from her with a shuddering breath and his eyes were dry and red, he found hers still warm and soft and gentle.

“Yet another thing to thank you for, Detective,” he swiped at his cheeks to clear the tear tracks.

“Lucifer, I’m here for you, ok? Nobody should ever go through what you have, let alone all alone.”

“You don’t need t—“

“I want to,” Chloe interrupted, “Really.”

***  
  


“Detective, I...“

“Lucifer,” Chloe murmured, leaning in closely, those big blue eyes filling his vision, “I care about you, you know?”

He nodded, “and I you, Detective.”

She leaned in and gently kissed his cheek, leaning her forehead against his before pulling away with an encouraging smile and looking towards the dying embers of the fire. 

She sighed and stood and it struck him that he’d never felt he belonged anywhere more than he did right now at her feet. She held her hand out to him and helped him stand, awe and wonder filling him at her grace.

She carefully picked up the sleeping child and carried her to the tent, turning on a lantern to see by while Lucifer poured water on the fire and carefully buried it before settling back down in his spot on the ground.

“Lucifer? Are you gonna stay out there all night?”

“Oh, I... I just thought...”

Chloe smiled warmly and held her hand out to him.

He rose as if reeled in by her gravity and took her hand, zipping up the tent behind him. Trixie was still fast asleep on one side of the tent and the Detective had two empty sleeping bags laid out side by side. She let go of his hand to slide into the middle one and Lucifer followed her example to lay on his back in his own warm cocoon, arms folded behind his head.  


She turned off the lantern and shifted a few times before everything was silent. Just as he began to think she must be asleep, Chloe rolled into him with a whispered laugh, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, warmth spreading through his chest, smiling even as sleep crept over him.


	10. And they just might

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok this is where it gets real for a sec

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp... happy Valentine’s Day 😅 I hope you all forgive me for this ridiculous hiatus... it was not planned. I hope some of you have stuck with me anyway 🖤 These last few chapters might be a little longer than most but I’ve had a lot of time to daydream about this story and not a lot of time to write it so gotta squeeze it all in there. Like I promised before though, I won’t abandon this story - I’m still really excited about it and it’s almost done 👀

As they rested in perfect contentment, God the Father hazarded a glance toward his wayward son. He’d reacted in anger; He was a big enough man to admit that. Samael challenged Him at every turn and honestly, He was exhausted. The incessant questions and little pranks he pulled were too much. What He was doing was too important to suffer these constant distractions. But Samael was not a child who accepted “because I said so” as an answer.

So when he’d finally defied Him and refused the assignment He’d ordered, He snapped. He threw him out. Of course He hadn’t meant to really hurt him, just to punish him as a Father should but... He’d been SO angry. Samael was such a willful child. His whims and wishes eclipsed all sense of duty or family no matter what He did. It was infuriating. Yes, He’d made him that way but... He hadn’t really stopped to consider how Samael’s wonderfully wild spirit would affect all His other plans and creations. Of course He wanted what was best for him and of course He still loved him. It was just... Millennia of meticulous planning and careful attention to detail derailed in one moment of frustration. Only Samael, or whatever silly thing he was calling himself these days, could have pushed Him that far.

But when He looked upon His creation, He realized not only had Samael recovered from the fall but he’d even managed to ingratiate himself to the humans he so resented. His wrath softened. Samael was electricity personified. He’d been a beautiful, uncontrollable force of nature since He’d first breathed life into him— but looking at him now in the arms of a human woman — Chloe Decker, if memory served — he had never looked so grounded.

“Samael,” He whispered.

Lucifer grimaced as he awoke to the still, small, annoying voice, holding the human woman tighter as he gritted out, “Dad...”

“My son, I am so proud to see you behaving,” He praised, “I have a proposition for you.”

Lucifer swallowed, warily listening for the catch, “what.”

“Now that you’ve learned your lesson, I’ll allow you back into heaven. I’ll even give you your wings back!”

“Not interested,” he directed his thoughts to his Father rather than speaking them aloud for fear of waking the Detective.

“Now Samael, we both know that isn’t true.”

“It’s  _ Lucifer_, Dad, and I’m tired of favors that always come with divine strings attached.”

“Honestly, I don’t know what you mean my Son. I just want you home.”

“Then what are the terms?”

“Nothing really, simply continue to behave.That’s all I ask! Of course, you won’t be able to return to earth for a while—“

“Why not?”

“Well you’re not supposed to be there... I’ll admit I allowed my frustration with you to get in the way of my better judgment momentarily but we can still put the plan back on course.”

“No thanks.”

“Samael—“

“LUCIFER! Dad, it—it’s Lucifer,” he huffed angrily, “I’ve never belonged anywhere. Let me belong here. Write me into your stupid plan. Just... let me stay.”

“This isn’t a debate, Sam—  _ Lucifer_,” God seethed, “you’re coming home now.”

“And if I refuse? If I burn my wings again and reject the warm welcome awaiting me in the Silver City?”

“Then you can go where all of my failed creations go: the Pit. For an even warmer welcome.”

“Dad, I—“

“No, I don’t want to hear any more lies and excuses. You have done more damage to my plan in a few short days than infinite creatures across the whole of time. Enough. Now did you learn your lesson or will I need to teach it to you again?”

“I’m not leaving, Dad, I-I can’t,” his voice cracked, “do what you must to me, just... please. Let me stay.”

“Fine. Have it your way. Just know that you’ve brought this on yourself.... and them.”

Lucifer gulped in the piercing silence and breathed into the Detective’s hair, holding her closer and breathing deeply, allowing the smell and warmth of her body to soothe him.

“Lucifer?” She whispered in groggy confusion.

“Apologies, Detective,” he loosened his hold.

“Another bad dream?” She noted his heart hammering like a jackhammer.

“Something like that,” he evaded, “truly, I-I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s alright Lucifer, I’m here for you. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

“No,” he laughed sadly, “just be you. That’s enough. That’s everything.”

She wrapped her arms around his torso and squeezed encouragingly and he mimicked the movement. As they both slowly drifted off, she felt him succumb to sleep in fits and starts, catching himself on the brink of drifting off and jerking awake again and again. All she could do was rub his chest reassuringly and whisper that he was safe.

—

Trixie opened her eyes. Or, she thought she did. She blinked a few times, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dark but it was pitch black. That was annoying because she was wide awake. She took a deep breath and coughed at the campfire smell permeating her hair and clothes. She thought about sneaking outside to see how many stars she could see before she heard the tent floor crinkle and her mom’s phone cast a bright light across her squinting, bleary eyed face. Suddenly, her mom sat bolt upright, still staring at her phone.

“Mom?” Trixie ventured nervously.

“Detective?” Lucifer’s sleep-slurred voice chimed in, “what is it?”

Chloe showed him the screen, staring into space with wide eyes before hopping up to unzip the tent.She only got it unzipped a few inches before thick, black smoke poured in and she quickly zipped it back up, coughing.

Lucifer dropped the phone and with a grim expression that made him look almost scary with the shadows all at the wrong angle, glanced from her mom and then, haltingly, to her.

“What?” Trixie asked, hearing a tremor in her own voice, “what is it?” 

Lucifer’s jaw set and he looked back to her mom.

“W-what’s going on?” Trixie insisted.

Lucifer stood and kissed her mom on the cheek, whispering something to her before crouching to look Trixie in the eye, which she could only barely see by the phone’s light still glowing on the floor behind him, “Thank you.” 

That’s all he said. She would have asked what for but he’d already taken a deep breath and turned away. Chloe grasped at his arm to stop him but he stepped out and zipped it back up before she could follow.

“Wait!Lucifer—“ Trixie called after him, hopping up to follow before her mom caught her and held her in a tight hug.

“What’s going on?” She repeated into her mom’s shirt, tears she didn’t know were there soaking through the cotton.

“It’s... well, Monkey,” Chloe attempted, clearing her throat before finally managing, “it’s daytime.”

Not knowing what that meant exactly but only knowing it was terrifying and confusing as dark as it was, she asked in a high pitched whine unfamiliar even to her, “where’s Lucifer going?”

“I... I don’t know,” Chloe admitted, looking down and wiping Trixie’s tears, “he said he was going to fix it.”

—

It wasn’t a wildfire. Lucifer knew that much. The smell that struck his senses as soon as he stepped out of the tent was the most overwhelming and noxious scent he’d ever experienced. If memory served, the smell was sulfur, but extraordinarily concentrated... the Pit. Of course. He had rejected Dad’s offer so Dad had rejected him. He was the failed creation the Pit was reaching out to claim. 

He hadn’t thought much about it before. What Dad created and destroyed was His own business as long as it meant He left him to do what he willed. If some of those detestable mortal creatures were condemned to destruction, what was it to him? But now... he would not allow the child and the Detective to suffer because dear old Dad was having an _off_ day. If His wrath was directed at him, well he’d be the best target he could be.

Tendrils of black smoke snaked around his arms and legs and tugged at him, pulling him down. He marched for as long as he dared, making sure to keep to a straight line away from the tent. Smoke rose up from the ground and swirled around him, choking him until he fell to his knees, retching. He gagged against the overwhelming stench to open his mouth- and  _ scream._ If Dad was finally listening, why not hurt His ears?

There was no response but suddenly the answer was falling, falling, falling... again.

—

Still wrapped in her mother’s arms, she could see the dark quickly fade. They broke at the same time and raced to unzip the tent. The air smelled fresh and clean and the sun was high in the sky. It was as if nothing had happened.

“L-Lucifer?” Trixie called, seeing no sign of him.

They listened with all their might but it was impossible to hear past the frantic insects chirping, like every bird and bug was asking the same questions they were... What just happened? Grasshoppers and mosquitos buzzed all around but Lucifer was nowhere to be found.


End file.
